


The Widower

by itsfourothree



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Pirates AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 22:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4076839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsfourothree/pseuds/itsfourothree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in the 18th century, Shield is a small organization on the rise stationed at Fort Carter in the Caribbean. When the pirate crew of The Widower, sent by Hydra, attacks, Commander Fury decides to put his newly assembled team into action. Not only facing a hunt from the Royal Navy and unpredictable waters, the team must also deal with their pasts-including the captain of The Widower.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Widower

     Strange things were happening. The seas never seemed to rest, powered by relentless storms that wrecked the once peaceful shores of Fort Carter. On the other hand, things hadn't been very peaceful on shore for some time.

     A captain thought dead was unearthed in ice, so far up north that he was discovered accidentally by adventurers scouting the territory. A meek but incredibly intelligent doctor had come to the area just as the townspeople began to hear the sounds of a monster at night with a trail of destruction to follow. A Scandinavian man with the strength and physique of a god, only known by his first name, had been recruited to the fort's navy, always babbling about the universe and the constellations.

     Though the infamous Red Skull had been defeated almost seventy years prior, flags bearing the symbol of his force began to spring up, just as those pirates who followed him used to proclaim before they were hanged for their crimes: "Cut off one head, and two shall take its place!"

     Steve's eyes fluttered open, ending yet another nightmare. _Damn it._ He took a deep breath in, trying to steady himself. _I cannot continue waking up from these nightmares_. He swept his hand across his damp face; his whole body was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. Releasing his other hand which had been tightly gripping a fluffy pillow against his chest, he sighed and swung his legs over his mattress and to the floor. He blinked, trying to push the sleep from his eyes and adjust to the harsh light spilling through his window.

     Technically, they were Tony Stark's windows.

     Stark owned the largest and most extravagant house on their portion of the island, wasting no expense to prove his wealth and success. Tony was working closely with Shield, producing state-of-the-art weapons and technological advances no one had even dreamed of, including a new full-body armor set in red and gold tinted metal. He had been living alone, not including his staff, until Commander Fury had spoken to him about assembling a crew separate from the existing soldiers and sailors who worked under the force. Tony accepted the proposal, despite not being invited to join, and offered to have the selected individuals stay with him.

     The first few weeks were awkward; no one really knew each other. Natasha Romanoff was already acquainted with a mercenary named Barton through their training together under Fury. Similarly, Romanoff knew Rogers well through missions with him. Doctor Banner was very quiet and unusually shy, rarely seen out of his office or his room, even taking his dinner (which he guaranteed was the same quality of a meal that the staff received) in his room most nights. Thor was generally a very likeable and nice man, though his intimidating size and mixture of English and Scandinavian and his babbling about the universe made getting to know everyone difficult. Tony was always working or attending a party. After a while, they all began to warm up and grow comfortable with one another, though no personal information was ever shared. They acknowledged those in the house as friends, but only knew the basic aspects of these friends.

     Steve dressed slowly, slipping the buttons of his gold waistcoat through one by one, struggling to fit his torso in his navy blue frock. He wore the correct uniform of a captain, but he still felt so out of place. Not to mention that damned powdered wig. The horrid thing itched constantly and made taking Steve seriously very hard on Natasha. Why couldn't he look as good as Fury? _The eye patch makes all the difference._

     Commander Fury had asked the crew to have a meeting with him that night; he was hoping to tell the members about Banner's...condition. After explaining the situation, they could all begin to function as a group on more complex missions wherever they knew Hydra to be located, as long as the rest of the team knew how to handle and watch Banner while on mission, and particularly at sea. The office was quite large, with wide windows giving a view of the harbor and the magnificent boats that belonged to Shield. The sky was a deep blue with a hint of purple at the falling horizon. There was some fog rolling in; the weather had been unpredictable the past few days.

     Steve had been working on base all day, and was the first to arrive at Fury's office with Natasha and Clint following close behind. Tony and Thor came in together, discussing the connection between science and astrology, seemingly getting along quite well. Bruce was the last to come in. He made an apology for his arrival, though he wasn't yet late, and tried to force a very weak smile as he grabbed a seat across from Fury’s desk.

     "Gentlemen," Fury started before quickly adding "and lady," Natasha grinned as Fury cleared his throat loudly. "I'm certain that by now you all have grown to be familiar with Doctor Banner?" The four gazed at each other, wondering if anyone would say anything positive. The truth was, they hadn’t. Bruce was rarely seen out. Natasha settled with a slight nod, the boys mimicking her. "I'm also sure that you're wondering why I requested him to live on base with us and participate in this team." They all focused on Fury, Clint restraining himself from blurting ‘ _He's obviously not a fighter_.’ Something out of the window caught Steve's eyes, averting his attention away from Fury. "Well-"

     An unexpected bang resonated from the harbor-one of the larger vessels had been hit by the blast and fire had enveloped the area surrounding it. Steve's eyes bulged out as he pieced together the scene outside, getting up with a start and commanded, "Everyone, get down!"

     Before anyone could question the captain, a loud explosion shook the room, and smoke began to billow through a gaping hole in the wall made from the impact. Steve could smell the already encompassing fire, and tried to aid Fury in escaping the room before it spread. As the group ran for the weaponry chamber, already swamped with soldiers, Fury shouted "What in God's name is happening?"

     As Natasha tore off her blue silk dress to reveal the breeches beneath, she answered breathlessly, "It's Hydra. It must be. They have been silent for weeks, and now they're coming to us." She drew a white tunic over her head, paying no attention to the peeping eyes of the soldiers rotating through the room. Buckling her leather rapier belt, she put her weapon in its hanger and located her other weapons. She stuffed her black flintlock gun, a gift from Fury, in the waist of her breeches. Another weapon, more precious to her, was the silver-mounted, agate handled dagger she had brought with her from Russia. It was single-edged, spear-pointed with a silver flower engraved on the tang.  As beautiful and deadly as the woman working it.

     "Why do they attack us now?" Thor questioned. He wore a distinctive piece of armor that he had brought with him from Scandinavia; passed down to him by his father. It was a steel chest plate with runes inscribed on it and several disks that seemed to have no use other than as ornamentation. The steel that covered his arms and legs were formed resembling the scales of a dragon, clinging to his skin tightly.  

     Steve retrieved his shield, one of the only things he had left that was familiar to him. It was made of Quebracho wood that Howard Stark had acquired on a trip to South America. Howard had told Steve that it was named after the Spanish word for "axe breaker", _quebrar hacha_ , and that the wood was among the heaviest and toughest in the world. It was given to him back during The Nine Years war, and had been shaped and leveled to be as light as it could be made while still retaining its strength.

     Following the group back to the main level, he began to dart his head back and forth, trying to analyze his surroundings. Recognizing that there was a person missing, he asked, "Where's Banner?" Despite Banner not being a fighter or a swordsman, Steve needed to ensure his safety and felt accountable for the man who had been living next door to him.

     Drawing out an arrow and positioning it on his bow, Clint responded, "No time!" Pulling back his arm, the arrow cut through the air and buried itself in the enemy that had just arrived the opposite entry.

     As the crew spread out, Tony stopped by the pirate and snagged the heavy sword that rested on his hip. It wasn't the flashiest or most reliable thing, however it was all he had to use. With a smirk, he took it and proclaimed, "Mine now!"

     An upsurge of pirates were approaching, with a few already breaking through the glass of the shops and attacking the innocent bystanders. They were more menacing than the other pirates they had encountered, their weapons were more advanced than the average mariner, and the garments they wore were pitch black, completely. The only thing that wasn't black on their bodies were the red Hydra insignias on their arms and the single gold ring on their forefingers.

     Civilians were in a complete state of chaos, some paralyzed or screaming, and others fleeing to nowhere. "Nat!" Clint called over his shoulder as he fired another arrow. "Help me get the civilians out!" Without another word, Natasha snapped the thin neck of a pirate, drenched in sweat and dirt, who was preparing to shove his sad excuse for a sword through a young man in front of him. She began to group as many people as she could and direct them away from the area. Tony took over when the black figures grew nearer and Natasha had to take full action.

     Clint was firing arrows at the speed of light, never missing, as Natasha fought and slashed at with those who thought they could overpower her. Steve and Fury were in the epicenter of it all, Fury firing away with his gun and Steve launching his shield at the unprepared men. Clint had managed to climb up to the rooftop of Fort Carter and began to fire from there, yelling to those on the ground to make them aware to things that they could not see. Tony was caught up in a very intense sword fight against a bulky man with blood-stained hair that hung to his waist. Thor had been doing hand to hand combat, only taking out his broadsword when needed, until Clint warned him of the new wave of pirates rapidly approaching. Without thinking, Thor brought out Mjølnir and swung it around him, knocking out each foe, and then sending it at least fifteen yards away at a pirate attacking Fury, only to command it back to his hand with the outstretch of his hand. Clint stopped, only for a moment, to try and understand what he saw, before he saw the glint of metal going through the smoke that had overtaken the street.

     It was a man, tall, muscular, with a shock of dark hair falling down to his broad shoulders and a black cloth over his mouth. Their captain, no question about that. He was built, a fair match for Thor, but that wasn't what caught Clint's eye. It was the entirely metal limb that hung from the captain’s left shoulder, visible for the whole world to see. Even the shadowy military jacket that he wore had been altered to show the arm. When the man walked, his left side would drop with each step, weighed down by the burden of the limb.

     Wasting no more time, Clint drew out his last arrow and aimed it at the leader. It shredded through the smoke, barreling towards the figure. The pirate sharply swung to his right, where the arrow had been shot from, and trapped it in his gloved hand, only inches from his neck. The man lifted his head and locked eyes with Clint. He made a start to climb the building when the ground began to tremor beneath their feet. Everyone stopped for a moment, the roar from the trees behind them sending fear through the air.

     "What in _hell_ is that?" Steve gulped for air, turning his shield towards the sound. Out of all the places he had been sent to and all the creatures he had encountered, he had not yet encountered one that sounded as dangerous and petrifying as this.

     " _That_ ," Fury panted, trying to re-load his pistol, "Is _Banner._ Now, run!"

     As soon as Fury stopped, the gargantuan green beast emerged from the trees and released another roar, sending the pirates to flee while some stayed behind, too shocked to move. Natasha nearly dropped her blade, unable to form a proper thought. Without tearing her eyes from the creature, she switched out her rapier for her pistol. She aimed it at the thing, which was slamming its fists into one of the invaders. Soldiers pushed past her as she cocked her gun and put her finger on the trigger.

     "Natasha!" Fury hissed. He never called her by her first name, just Romanoff. She tore her eyes away from the monster and gazed at Fury. There was genuine fear in her eyes, a fear none of the men had seen before. "Do not attack him, stand down! It's _Banner! Leave!"_ Natasha shuddered and averted her attention back to Banner, now a giant green weapon. Tony growled and limped over to her; one of his knees had been damaged while fighting. Taking Natasha's wrist, he began dragging her in a mid-run behind him as Banner stomped on a fire-eaten dress shop.

     The head pirate did not run. He stood tall and let the fighters see him. They all paused for a minute, but Steve and Natasha froze, with Tony almost falling over.

     "Come on!" Tony stressed, tugging on Natasha's wrist. She was solid as rock, glaring at the man before them. "What? What is it?" Tony finally saw the gleam of the metal limb, and wondered if what was standing before them was even mortal. He appeared too menacing to be a normal man, especially wearing that arm. He couldn’t tell if it was covering the skin beneath or if it was the man’s prosthetic arm. _Where in the world did he get that?_ He wondered. The material and the design of the arm was stunningly advanced, like nothing he had ever seen or heard of. “Who is that?”

     "He's the _Winter Soldier_." Natasha whispered to Tony. Memories consumed her mind of his face, the last time they were together. What stood before her, she couldn't explain. She was terrified of him now.

     Steve had stopped breathing, his heart skipping a beat. He knew those eyes anywhere; they were eyes he would never be able to forget if he even tried. They were the eyes which would ghost about his dreams, intertwined with red lipstick and the freezing cold shock of ice. These eyes were the same eyes, except for their cruelty and malice, their ill-intent and hellfire burning his golden eyes. With a shaky voice, he called out, " _Bucky_?" He was asking a question he already knew the answer to. _But how could it be Bucky? I saw him...he can't be. That arm...but those eyes! Those are his eyes!_

     The pirate narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. Something flashed over his features, and he tore off the fabric over his mouth to expose his entire face, with dark scruff scattered about his jaw. With a smoky and distant voice, the captain wondered, “Who the hell is Bucky?”

Not a moment passed before Clint screamed, "Get out, NOW!" at his team. Everyone suddenly re-animated and began to run, disregarding anything other than getting their legs to take them to safety. Steve’s head kept turning back to glance at the man until he went underground.

      The assailant still stood his ground, and as Tony ran for an alley behind the bakery with Natasha in tow, he reached for his briarwood and bronze pistol, loaded it, and locked in on his target. Just as he fired, the green brute lunged for the black figure standing still before him. Tony and Natasha glanced over their shoulders to find that Banner had taken the bullet-and was still charging at the pirate. They couldn't risk staying behind to see the outcome of the fight, and ran back to the base’s underground. 

     After some time, Thor volunteered to go back out and find Banner and report back his condition. Natasha followed, despite strict orders to stay behind. Fury gave a sigh of defeat, knowing that Natasha was stubborn and final in all things she did, and began to help attend the soldiers who had retreated back to the base wounded.

     The only light allowing for Thor and Natasha to survey the area was the minimal fires that were blazing here and there, though the dress shop which had been previously engulfed in flames was now just a scorched black ruin, still blowing out smoke.

     "Doctor Banner!" Thor bellowed, swinging his head around. The buildings were completely torn apart, nothing was untouched now. The pirates had looted what they could and burned what had been left. _Monsters._

     "Banner!" Natasha echoed. Her side throbbed from a small wound left by a small dagger one of the pirates had used to fight her. Blood began to leak from it, faster than it had been before. _Find Bruce first._ She covered her dirt covered shirt with a shaking hand, putting pressure on her damaged flesh. She scanned through the other bodies that lay in the street, some pirates, and some soldiers. All dead. That's when she spotted the naked body of a small man. "Bruce?" she breathed. She made a sprint for him, one knee threatening to give out on her. Lowering herself to her knees in front of him, she saw his pale face, layered with dirt and ash.

     His eyes flew open, sensing her in front of him. "Miss Romanoff-" he coughed, his voice raspy and thin. He let out a moan of agony at the pain that was burning all over his tender skin.

     Smiling with relief for only a moment, she called for Thor, who was walking through a demolished building. "He's over here! Tell Fury that he's..." she struggled to think of a word. She refused to say human, and imply that he wasn't human to begin with, but she couldn't find any reason to believe that after what she had just witnessed. "...him."

     Thor smiled widely, knowing that his friend was safe and no longer...whatever creature he had become in that moment. "I shall go!"

     "Miss Romanoff," Bruce repeated, coughing up some dust that had gotten trapped in his aching throat. He gazed at the woman before him to ask if she had anything to cover him up with, when he saw the blood stained on her tunic. "You're bleeding..." He trailed off, blinking away the exhaustion that was slowly taking over him again.

     Lifting her hand from where she had been pressing it, she raised it to her eye level and found it slick with blood, her blood. Her blood felt so hot against her bare hand, and she realized just how cold she had begun to feel. _The damage was worse than I thought_ , she reflected. She let out a small laugh, though she wasn't sure what was so funny.

    _Natasha!_

     Her vision went black, and her body met with the hard stone road beneath her.

     _Natasha!_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my very first posting to ao3, and I hope it was okay. I got the idea for this story while watching Pirates of the Caribbean, and while I've made some very intentional similarities, this is not a crossover fic. I also changed a few things around to go with the time period, though I don't want to set a specific year and I didn't want to set it on a particular place in the Caribbean. I tried to read up on as much as I could in relation to ships, pirate life, naval officers, and the era, so I apologize if I made an error or anything. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me and make me aware of anything.


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